By Firmain Eric Mbadinga
Nature's fury, an oft-used metaphor for the consequences of human actions that adversely impact the planet, has manifested itself lately in a series of natural calamities – from devastating floods and landslides across Africa that killed or displaced thousands to desert storms in Dubai that brought 18 months of rainfall in 24 hours.
Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia and Ethiopia have all suffered the ravages of flooding and landslides on the continent in recent months, leading scientists to identify climate change as the primary cause of these recurrent disasters.
As floodwaters started to recede, tropical storm Hidaya hit the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts on May 4, heaping more misery on the East African neighbours. The cyclone claimed at least 400 lives and caused material damage estimated at several million dollars.
So, what is it that science aims to do to not only cushion the impact of climate change-induced phenomena but actually harness this into a source of water and energy?
Incredulous as it may sound, this is the scientific train of thought as one natural catastrophe after another pummels some portion of the planet every few months.
Innovative strategies
Experts attribute the torrential, unseasonal rainfall in parts of the South American and African continents to El Niño.
"El Niño occurs when the waters of the Pacific Ocean become warmer than normal and easterly winds slow down, leading to higher temperatures in the northern hemisphere and increased rainfall in South America and southern Africa," explains Dr George Mwaniki, head of air quality at WRI Africa.
While El Niño and other destructive climatic factors seem to be tormenting humankind, scientific studies have yielded techniques to turn torrential rains and heatwaves into sustainable, clean water and energy sources.
These techniques are meant to capture excess water and heat, just like those that create rain over deserts.
Scientists are convinced that such studies and techniques could prevent climate-related disasters and lead to a more equitable distribution of resources worldwide.
Jovanie Sonie Ndong Songo, an architect and town planner in Gabon, believes that proper urbanisation systems must be established in each African country before technologies to capture heat or water for human use can be designed.
"Besides combating climate change, it's also a question of sustainable land use and developing risk-prevention mechanisms. Recent disasters in Kenya and other countries have shown how important it is to have efficient sewerage, drainage, and emergency systems," he tells TRT Afrika.
"It is crucial to innovate in the design of new networks that incorporate natural and artificial water retention basins."
Multiple scientific models
Jovanie's proposed technical infrastructure, also known as stormwater basins, has been successfully demonstrated in countries like Canada. After the 2011 floods caused Lake Champlain and the Richelieu to overflow, a study proposed removing all the dikes.
Charlène Mouboulou, a journalist and environmental engineer, suggests that countries can create retention basins or even artificial lakes, depending on the topography, to use excess water.
"Water from these basins could be used for construction, public projects, agriculture and fish farming, or even homes. All these sectors require enormous water," she tells TRT Afrika.
Hassan Chouaouta, her Moroccan colleague and President of the Centre de Compétences pour la Durabilité (Skills Centre for Sustainable Development), says any overflow from water basins during heavy rain can be used to generate electricity.
"We can put a positive spin on this kind of flooding. I believe that cities need to be equipped in terms of infrastructure to prevent the worst outcomes, but more importantly, to manage and redirect floods towards rivers or safe outlets that can also be used for storage," says Chouaouta.
"We can even generate hydroelectricity and use this type of disaster to our advantage."
Harnessing heatwaves
Before the recent floods, the second half of 2023 experienced a series of record global temperature increases, resulting in droughts in some areas and forest fires in others.
In the US state of California, the mercury reached 54°C, making it possible to literally cook an omelette on the asphalt. The heatwave also claimed dozens of lives.
In 2020, when the frequency of heatwaves increased, Dr Mikael Philippe of France's Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières was already considering geothermal energy as a solution for cooling or refreshing homes.
Dr Philippe describes geothermal energy as "the science that studies the internal thermal phenomena of the Earth's crust and the technology that aims to harness them".
Mouboulou advocates a significant shift towards solar technologies. "We can use this energy to diversify agricultural varieties. Some areas cannot produce certain varieties of crops because of their climate," she says.
"The idea is to trap the heat in a greenhouse to replicate the greenhouse effect on a small scale. This way, we won't need machines to create a microclimate that encourages the growth of varieties such as strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and oranges."
In areas with limited rainfall, cloud seeding is an option in addition to importing water from areas with abundant rain.
The scientific technique was devised in 1948 by American Charles Mallory Hatfield, nicknamed the "rainmaker". It involves spreading aerosols and ice particles on clouds so that they accumulate and turn into rain. Dubai has been using this technique for years.
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